'There aren't any tigers around anymore'

Villagers at Tanjung Belit remember the days when tigers were seen every day, and it was dangerous to venture into the forest.

One man, Kasim, whose own father was attacked and killed by a tiger in 1972, has not seen one in the wild since.

"There are more people now, in the past it was so quiet," he said.

"Now the forest is full of people. People are farming in the forests, so there aren't any tigers around anymore."

Despite a steep decline in tiger numbers, WWF is hopeful the critically endangered Sumatran tiger can be brought back from the brink of extinction.

But it will take time, hard work, money and the support of government and key stakeholders — including consumers in Australia — to succeed.

The organisation is concentrating efforts on one key area in Central Sumatra where tigers still have considerable range to roam, mate and breed.

The Rimbang Baling Wildlife Reserve along Sumatra's mountainous spine is one of 18 sites worldwide that WWF has identified as having the potential to triple their tiger populations within a human generation.

In the case of Sumatra, the aim is not only to stop poaching but also halt or at least slow the loss of more land to logging or plantations.

To that end, patrols are being strengthened on the ground to track and arrest poachers and destroy their snares.

Intelligence officers are infiltrating poaching networks and criminal logging syndicates. But corruption is rampant in Indonesia, where bribes can induce police or other authorities to turn a blind eye to poaching or illegal land clearing.

In successful cases, where land is reclaimed, environmentalists are ripping out palms or plantation timber and replanting indigenous species to restore native forests.

But it is a slow process.

It will take decades for tiger numbers — and by default other threatened species — to rebound.

To monitor their numbers in the wild, tiger protection patrols have installed tree cameras triggered by movement sensors.

They keep a record of every tiger caught on film. When the camera captures cubs or even a female, it is a good sign.

WWF teams up with Richmond Tigers

Environment groups also encourage land owners to expand plantations without the need to clear native forests — for example, by returning to abandoned plots.

Recently, WWF signed an agreement with the Richmond Football Club in Melbourne — the Tigers — to promote a tiger-awareness campaign in Australia, where it said there was currently "zero engagement" with the animal's global plight.

WWF Australia's Ashley Brooks said most of the conservation group's activities in Sumatra, including its tiger patrols, were funded by donors or governments in Europe, Japan and the US.

Australians contribute next to nothing to tiger conservation.

Even two more patrols — at an annual cost of $25,000 — would go a long way to filling in gaps on the ground where poachers operate with impunity, Mr Brooks said.

Last week, two Richmond players, Nick Vlastuin and Jack Graham, spent three days in Sumatra watching the tiger-protection patrols at work in the Rimbang Baling area.

Dr Brooks said many consumers would have no idea how their daily lives could directly impact on tigers in Sumatra, given the global reach of the palm oil, paper and rubber industries.

Indonesia is the world's biggest producer of palm oil, which is found in a vast range of products from chocolate bars and ice-cream to soap, household cleaners and biofuels.

Indonesian rubber is used in the manufacture of shoes and tyres.

"Around 55 per cent of things on shelves in any supermarket of the world has palm oil in it or derivatives from oil palms," Dr Brooks said.

"The paper and cardboard in offices around the world could potentially come from eucalypts, acacias.

"Without knowing it, everyone is somehow contributing to the threats or pressures on these beautiful landscapes. On one hand they might be donating to support tiger recovery, or elephant recovery, but on the other they're consuming products that have contributed to the disappearance of their habitat."

Tyre manufacturers aim to reduce impact

In November global tyre manufacturers launched an initiative to stop the destruction of forests for rubber plantations.

The Global Platform for Sustainable Natural Rubber, which includes Michelin and Goodyear, will begin operations in March with the goal of reducing deforestation and "land grabbing", while protecting biodiversity.

The global tyre industry consumes an estimated 70 per cent of the world's natural rubber supply, most of which comes from South-East Asia.

Similar initiatives have been established in the palm oil, coffee and cocoa industries, but with mixed success.

But any gains in the sustainability of palm oil, rubber or other commodities will be offset by the relentless rise in demand for their products, especially as incomes in key markets increase.

Environmental groups say rubber demand has risen over the past 20 years as emerging markets like China become wealthier, with more people able to buy cars and motorcycles.

All of this fuels deforestation and makes the plight of the Sumatran tiger all the more desperate.

Residents at Tanjung Belit know that if the tiger protection patrols fail, they are unlikely ever to see tigers around their village again.

"We used to see them once a day at least," said Ali Zabur.

"They looked so angry, maybe because their habitat was already ruined. But they're gone now because their forests have been destroyed. I feel sorry for them."